Salvadoran Officials Are Looking For Those Responsible For The Death Of Gustavito The Hippo

Salvadorans are mourning the death of Gustavito, a 15-year-old hippopotamus who was brutally beaten to death by an unknown assailant at the National Zoological Park in San Salvador, El Salvador. In a country that has seen thousands of deaths over the past year linked to gang violence, the death of Gustavito has sent shockwaves through the Central American country.

Citizens in El Salvador are outraged over the senseless death of Gustavito.

Salvadorans nationwide are mourning the death of one of the zoo’s most beloved animals.

“The Secretary of Culture regrets to inform the country that on Sunday, February 26, hippo Gustavito has died,” reads a press release from the zoo. “His death occurred due to serious complications in his health caused by the severe and forceful blows and injuries that he received on several parts of his body in a cowardly and inhumane attack that is being investigated. Veterinarians will perform the necropsy to determine, in more detail, the cause of death.”